


Voice of the Heart

by MayumiWorld



Series: Love and Sorrow AU [4]
Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: AU of an AU, AU-ception, Alternate Timeline, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And the plot is her dream in the coma, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Fluff, Hot-blooded reader, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Second Person, Post-Kirby Star Allies, Reader is an OC, Reader is reduced to a voice, Redemption, Snark, Tags May Change, The Kirby universe takes place in a dream world, it gets fluffier as it goes on, reader is in a coma, so uhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25200658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayumiWorld/pseuds/MayumiWorld
Summary: One sunny day, you wake up inside of a dark room. It is all in a dream... except you can’t wake up from it. In short, a coma.Worse, you have been reduced to just a little voice inside of the mind of a demon named Zero, who wants the world—and in extension, the concept—of dreams to be gone forever.Luckily, the two of you have been found by someone that ‘killed’ him a long time ago... but treats Zero like a friend despite what he did?What will happen next? Will Zero destroy this world for real? Will you find a way home? Or...?An alternate timeline of the L&S AU.
Relationships: Zero (Kirby) & Female Reader
Series: Love and Sorrow AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1401280
Kudos: 7





	1. The Void

**Author's Note:**

> This is a separate timeline from the Heart AU. The past stays mostly the same, but the time when the reader pops in this world (beginning of PDD) is where things change. 
> 
> Also, I want this to be shorter than PDD’s 70 chaptered goal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up in a dark room.

Black. 

That is all you can see. Black. Left, right, black. You cannot see yourself, the wall, not even the floors. 

“Where… am I?” You mutter under your breath. 

You stood up, then looked around. It seems like things aren’t looking good for you this summer. 

“First, I lost the lottery ONE THOUSAND TIMES IN A ROW, got lost in a forest for A WHOLE WEEK, and now _THIS!?”_ You yell in frustration. This outburst seems to have awakened the beast inside of the room. 

It opened its single red eye, staring at you. It seems like it’s mad at you for waking it up, but at the same time, confused. 

“Why... how did you get here?” The beast asked. 

“That’s what I’m about to ask. Why AM I here!?” You yell. 

“You... you are not supposed to be here.” It said. “This void is supposed to be only accessible to me, and only me. Intruders like a you are not supposed to be in this place. However...” it then continued. This time, upon saying the last word, he is looking at you... menacingly. “you look weak. It doesn’t look like you can defeat me in this state. You are just a mere human after all.” He added in a way that offended you. Probably has to do with the polite yet menacing tone. 

“Hey! Who are you and what’s your deal!?” You yell angrily, not happy about what you heard. “Since I’m not supposed to be here, what are you going to do with me? Kill me?” You then prompted. 

“While I would like to do that... no. I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.” It said. “Also, my name is Zero.” It then introduced, complete with a bow. “And of what I am going to do with you... I don’t think I can do anything to you... yet.”

“W-Why is that?” You say as the anger you had for this Zero guy has been slowly been replaced with worry. Not helping is that menacing stare. Zero’s head is ‘looking’ down, but its single eye is focused on you. 

It’s... unnerving, to say the least. 

“It’s because you are now in the world of dreams. Your body is now in a coma. Don’t worry, you aren’t dead yet... but you may not wake up at all.” Zero explained. 

“That’s... reassuring.” You try to say with relief, but you still shivered. “I... I’ll just, umm... w-wake up... r-right?” 

“Here is the problem: I don’t know how to get rid of trespassers.” Zero shook its head. “And since you don’t know how you got in, we will probably never know.” It added. 

It made you realize something. 

“N-No...” you say, as to land on your knees, then eventually fall in despair. The thought that you cannot wake up for a long time—and possibly never will—is a scary thought for you. After all, you can’t meet your friends and family anymore. 

Tears are falling on your face as the thought that you wouldn’t escape this prison goes into your head. 

“But who knows, maybe I could find the cure. But you have to agree with something.”

“A-And that is...?”

“If we destroy this world of dreams... together.”

“The world of dreams, huh. S-Sounds like a good place...”

“Well, it is a good place, human.” Zero explained. “However, you cannot go there as a person from the living world. Plus, there is no point for it to exist in the first place.”

“...” You don’t like where this is going. “What is your beef with that world anyway? Why not just go to my world and just have fun?” You say, trying to light up the mood. 

“Why would they be happy when I can’t?” The beast then said in a more menacing voice. As if he's... angry.

Silence. 

“So... you’re saying that you want to destroy this world because you can’t feel happy? That’s… that’s stupid.” You say as you felt like pointing out stupid stuff once more. “That’s like saying that you want to drive humanity to extinction because you don’t have legs and therefore can’t walk! Besides, you can say the same thing to the real world! Everyone can be happy there too!”

“...what?” Now Zero is confused. He then realized what you meant. “No, this is different. While others can still achieve happiness without some body parts, I just… can’t. Mental disabilities can be worse than physical disabilities.” He explained in a monotone voice. You nod in understanding, now starting to be curious. "I tried finding it. But I couldn’t. Nobody helped me find it in this world. That is why I want this world gone. Do you get it now?”

“Um… yeah, but… I’m still not going to let you destroy this world!” You object. 

“I see. Well, you are going to be my little servant, whenever you like it or not.” Zero said. “You can’t get out of here, after all.”

“Well, then I’m gonna try to be as annoying and disobedient as I can, whenever _you_ like it or not!” You then yelled in response. 

“Let’s see about that.” Zero said, looking at you menacingly again. The venom in his voice is strong in this tone. 

You gulped, now scared of this beast. You tried to hide it, but it is showing. 

“Ah, it’s almost time.” Zero said, looking away from you. 

“Time for… what?” You ask. 

“My regeneration.” He then stared back at you. “I don’t truly die. So if you somehow killed me, it will be pointless since I can come back as much as I want with no consequences.”

“So… I am now asking you. Are you ready to see the Dream World?”

You stood at your place, wondering what to say. For one thing, you want to see what it looks like. On the other hand, Zero will destroy this world anyway. If he can, that is. 

But then, both of you don’t know how you can get out of this predicament. And hey, maybe regenerating could mean your body can come back! 

Except… you’re too weak to take him on. Whatever you do, it will be pointless anyway. And even if you do kill him, Zero will just regenerate and come back to destroy this world.

You have no choice. 

“...yeah.”

Suddenly, as if it was a response to what you have said, a bright light shone and consumed both of you. You shielded your eyes, but it won't go away.

And then… you fell into unconsciousness. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …
> 
> “What are you doing here?”
> 
> “You are not supposed to be here.”
> 
> “Actually, never mind. This is the internet."
> 
> “You are just here for your entertainment.”
> 
> “Here, I’ll give you the Kudos button.”
> 
> “͢͡A͡҉͢s̶ ļ̷o̵̶n̵g͏̨ ҉as͏ ̸͏y̧o̴͟u ͞d͜o̸͡͡n’̢t ̧i͏n̢̛͜te͟҉r̷f̷̵͝e͜r̵̛e͜҉ ͠w̧įt̡͡h ͡m̴̧y͞҉ ͟pl̴͞a͟n͏s͏.”͏


	2. Green Scenery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zero is in the world of Dreams. What would you do?

_Popstar_

One day, on a starry night, a little comet zoomed through the sky. It was pretty small compared to other ones that came before. 

It landed on a lake, making a huge explosion in the process. 

It floated up to reveal that it isn’t a rock, but rather… purely spherical. And red. It’s not a meteor, but rather a creature. 

It opened its eye, and found itself in a lake. It ‘swam’ towards the surface where it dried. 

“So this is the dream world…” you mutter under your breath. 

You try to move… only to find out that you cannot. You can’t even move nor feel your hands either! “Wait… what happened to me!? Why can’t I move!?” You freak out as you realize that you can’t control any of your body parts. Only your sight and voice. 

“Hm? You’re still here?” You hear Zero’s voice. “So that’s what happens... so you are in my body...” He explained. He then took a look at his reflection in the water. It is a red orb with a black dot for an eye. “...As a voice.” He then added. 

“You’re… smaller than I thought.” You pointed out. “I… think you’re cute.”

“I know that. I haven’t built my nest yet.” Zero responded. “Also, don’t you dare call me cute.”

That statement made you confused. “Your… nest?” You ask in confusion as Zero starts to hop. 

“Are you stupid? You should have learned that in elementary school.” 

This statement somewhat offended you, but you decided to keep quiet. He _is_ a demon after all, so he _can_ kill you when given the chance. 

That one solved one of your questions, but what you don’t understand is how a _nest_ could turn him into the menacing beast that you saw back at the dark room. 

You stay silent as the red orb hops around in the field. Trees and plants are everywhere. Front, behind, greens are everywhere. In fact, the leaves of the trees are star-shaped. You could see some flowers, including ones that you have never seen before, but Zero ignored everything. You figured that it’s because he will destroy them all anyway. 

While looking towards the starry sky, you realize that you don’t see the same angle that Zero sees. In fact, you can control what you see. For example, when he decided to kill a person, you could just look away no problem. You decided to not say that as you figured that he doesn’t need to know that. After all, what is he going to do with that kind of information?

As Zero continued hopping, you are starting to get bored. The trees are pretty, but you don’t really know where he is going. 

“Um… where are we going, exactly?” You ask. 

“Finding a place to build my nest. Why do you ask?”

“I’m getting bored,” is your answer. 

After a few hops, you realize that Zero’s hops are slowing down, and his voice is getting a little tired. 

You don’t really want to do this, but this is probably the best thing you can do. After all, there is literally nothing you can do. 

“I… I think you need a rest.” You say. “You seem tired.”

“No. I don’t need a rest.” Zero responded with venom in his tone. “Why should I? It just wastes my time.”

“No no no no no. You need a rest.” You say. Suddenly, you realize that the only excuse will make you hypocritical. But then again, you have no choice anyway. “After all, how will you destroy this world with sleep deprivation? You’re gonna be vulnerable towards your enemies!” 

“Says the one who doesn’t want to destroy this world.”

“I _know_ that, smartass.” You say as your sassy tone bleeds out. “But bear with me, Zero. I _know_ what happens when you don’t sleep eight hours a day.” You added, remembering that one time you have been late for school. Your _first_ day of middle school in fact. 

Zero thought about it, until he decided to give in your advice and sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it.” He said, feeling a bit tired. 

And so, he stopped hopping. It is… quiet, if anything. They can hear the rustling of the trees, and the tweeting of the birds. For some reason, it got to the little demon. It made him feel… something. 

“The stars… they look pretty.” You say. “Do you think so Zero? Oh wait, you don’t care, do you?” 

However, Zero is still feeling this little emotion. He is confused, but… it hurts. A bit. 

“Ahh… so relaxing, seeing the stars like this. I haven’t seen them in ever.” You said, still staring at the night sky. This statement confused Zero. At least that answered what emotion Zero is feeling: relaxation. But not the fact that you rarely saw stars. 

“What do you mean by that? They shine brighter than a lightbulb, you know.” Zero pointed out. 

“Light pollution.” You answer. “It’s when there are too many bright artificial lights at night. You can’t see the stars. Not even a single one.” You added in sadness. 

“I see.” Now Zero is a little curious. But… he’s getting sleepy…

He yawns, before falling asleep. Surprisingly, you haven’t slept at the same time. You're not sleepy yet, so you decided to look out. Not that you want him to live. 

Oh? Someone’s here. They seemed to be cuter than Zero, with a round pink body, two blue eyes, stubby hands and feet. Could this be a resident of this world?

They checked him out, not fearing him. It seems like they don’t recognize him. 

“Hello? Could you please uhh… kill me?” You say, trying to mimic Zero’s voice. They didn’t hear you, which is strange. After all, the surroundings are silent. 

Are they deaf? Probably. They don’t have ears after all. 

They concluded that Zero is just sleeping, smiling in relief. “Phew! I thought you’re dead!” They said in a child-like voice. 

However, they are worried. Probably because kidnappers or predators. Or both. Because of this, they carried Zero and brought him to a dome-shaped house. He tucked him to bed, and turned off the lights. 

“Goodnight poyo.” They said. 

“Goodnight to you!” You say, quiet enough that Zero didn’t wake up. 

He did look back however, wondering if he met this person before. He shrugged it, and concluded that it’s probably nothing. 

And so, they flew towards the top of a tree next to the house. 

“Why are you sleeping in a tree?” You ask. You never got any answer, as they have already slept on it. 

You concluded that this is his house. And since this bed has already been taken, they decided to sleep on a tree. After all, there is only one bed inside. 

Zero could just ask him for her... If he didn’t kill him first. Which is too bad, as he seemed like a nice guy! 

Oh well, at least you could use your voice to distract him. 

You are getting sleepy, so you closed your eyes and slept. 

_To be continued..._


	3. Repaying Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...with a kill! Or is it?

Sadness. 

Anger. 

Hatred. 

That’s all he knows, you figure, from what you have seen from the first night you spent with your… ‘host’. 

Well, you can’t really do anything except be heard, so you aren’t really a parasite if you aren’t killing the host. 

Plus, you certainly didn’t expect to go back into the void before he regenerated. Did the pink fellow realize who he really was then kill him in his sleep? If so, then that didn’t bring you home, didn’t it. 

At least you can move again. 

“I’m… back. Am I?” You say. 

“Yes, you are.” Zero answered. “Unlucky for you, I am not dead. This is simply just a dream, as you call it.” He explained. “We will go back to that world after I wake up.”

“Hold on a second.” You say, realizing something. “Dream people dream too?” You asked. 

“...yes.”

Suddenly, the sinister aura has been replaced with an awkward one. 

“Umm… let me guess: you dream of you killing many people and actually succeeding in your goal to destroy that world.” You said. “Yeah, veeeery typical.” You added in a mocking tone. 

“Huh, you’re smarter than I thought.” Zero said, as if he is complimenting you. 

“Ah, I see. Thanks!” You said, feeling a bit chipper. 

And then you remember, in which you collected your composure and stared towards the demon. 

“You’re easily flustered…” Zero looked away from you, probably thinking about what to do with that information. “I… don’t understand compliments…” you hear him mutter under his breath. 

“Umm… I can teach you, if you like…” you sheepishly say. 

Surprisingly, Zero perked his eye and stared towards you in curiosity. 

“Ah, do tell me about that... when I do destroy this world, that is.” Zero said. 

“Um… o-ok, I guess…?” You respond, not knowing how to react anymore.

“So what is going on with my body?” Zero asked probably to steer away from that predicament. 

“Well, you’re fine. Someone just found you and took you inside their house.” You say in a casual tone. 

“And he is…?”

“Pink, cuddly, and certified adorable! …except you don’t care about that last part, I bet.” 

“...pink? Does he have… blue eyes?” Zero asked. His tone is now of shock. 

“Uhh… yes?” Now you’re confused. Does he have beef with that kid too?

It seems like it as he is getting mad. Oh dear...

“Um… w-w-what time is it!?” You yell, trying to distract him from that pink child. 

And then suddenly you’re back to the world of dreams. Awake version. The pink child is right next to the demon. They seem to be happy that Zero is awake. Little did that know…

Zero is mad, which scares the kid. He is confused as to why a random stranger is mad at them. 

“G-G-Get out of here, quickly! He’s gonna kill you!” You yell, trying to catch the creature’s attention. 

While that certainly didn’t catch their attention, the child’s puzzle pieces connected themselves. 

“Z-Zero?” They muttered, before being zapped by electricity. 

They are now stunned by the electricity, holding his head while he recovers from this shock. 

“Long time no see,  _ Kirby. _ ” Zero said in a calm yet hateful tone. At least he knew the child’s name, except you weren’t focused on that at all. 

“Stop it! You need to stop this!” You kept on yelling. None of that catches any attention from both parties. 

“But… but I thought you-” “Died? Don’t be so foolish, Fluffball. Nothing can permanently kill me.” Kirby was about to say something but was then silenced by Zero. 

“Kirby! Just get out of here!” While everything unfolds right in front of your eyes, you keep on yelling, trying to catch Kirby’s attention. However, they never did. 

While you’re screaming like hell, Zero has ‘cornered’ Kirby. He found a knife in the room, and prepared to stab him. 

Kirby is getting scared now. They can’t do anything!

“Heh, and I thought you are a hero for saving this land…” Zero said as he raised the knife…

...and then Kirby promptly sucked it up. And spat it back towards the demon as a star. Right in his face too!

“Yeah, you go Kirby!” You cheer. 

**“SHUT UP!** Nobody can hear you!” Zero yelled in response. This sudden change of tone shocked Kirby. 

“Your yelling is useless, human. He cannot hear you. You cannot stop me, as I do not care about your screams of despair. You are absolutely worthless and not worth my time.” He explained. 

“Who… are you talking to?” Kirby asked, confused as to what’s going on. 

“He… can’t hear me?” You ask. 

“Only I can hear you, idiot. Now shut up and let me kill him!” He then picked up his knife (it turned to normal after it landed on the floor) and continued fighting. However, Kirby is not trying to fight. You don’t know why, and Zero doesn’t either. He doesn’t care though, as long as he’s dead. 

“W-Wait!” Kirby kept yelling, trying to at least stop this demon to fight. You scream with him, despite the knowledge that he cannot hear you. 

Your obnoxiousness distracted the demon, as he kept trying to quiet you. Thanks to this, Kirby got the chance to beat him up with a frying pan and knock him out. 

As Zero falls to the floor, Kirby is panting. What is he going to do with him now? Zero is still awake, just… can’t move anymore. 

“I… can’t…” Zero muttered under his breath. 

“Z-Zero?” Kirby said with… concern? Why is he concerned about a demon who tried to kill him?

The pink puff looked around his surroundings, lost in thought. 

After what felt like hours, Kirby stared towards Zero with sad eyes. He had made up his mind, it seems. 

“I’m sorry that I killed you. I… I had to.” He said, giving Zero a hug. The both of you are confused. Why give him a hug when he just… you know. 

“Why…? Why are you… I don’t… understand…”

“I… don’t quite understand either, but… I actually don’t want to kill anyone. Not even people like you.” Kirby explained. “You suffered a lot, didn’t you? It’s… it’s terrible thinking about it. But… even if I truly don’t forgive you for… you know, it’s going to be ok.” He said in a motherly tone. “It’s going to be ok, I promise.” He hugged the demon tighter. 

“You… are you sure?” 

Kirby nodded, as he finally let go of the hug. “Do you at least remember what I said back in the day?” He said, now smiling. 

This… confused the little demon. Did he actually say something before he killed him? Or is this a trick so he could kill him again?

Zero shook his head, which made the little Fluffball sad. 

“That’s sad. But it’s ok, it’s been a long time after all, poyo.” 

Suddenly, Kirby had an idea. 

“Hey, how about we go to the Dream Palace together?” Kirby requested. 

Upon hearing this, Zero felt a bit awkward… and scared. What will happen to him? Will he survive this encounter? 

You never seen him so scared before. Same thing for Kirby, it seems, evident by the shocked face he had. 

“Hey! It can’t be that bad!” You perked up. “Since Kirby spared you, who knows! Maybe other people won’t try to kill you! And even if thy do, Kirby could convince them!” 

This made Zero a bit less scared, and it seems like he is willing to go. 

“Thanks, human. I… appreciate it. Ok, let’s go.”

And so, they left. 

…

“…do you still want this world to be gone?” You ask as Kirby closes the door to his house. 

“Yes. Yes, I do.” Zero answered, but not loud enough for Kirby to hear. 

“Oh…”

‘Don’t tell me he’s going to kill Kirby…’ you thought. At least it’s a good thing that Zero can’t read thoughts. 

But… something is plaguing you ever since you met him. 

‘…why does he want to destroy this world, exactly?’ 

_ To be continued... _


	4. The Star Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirby decided to show his new friend to his other friends. It goes well as you expect.

Kirby is currently dragging Zero to the Dream Palace. The former’s face is full of excitement while Zero had the opposite: he didn’t care. 

You are also excited to meet the Star Allies. Apparently, he is the leader of the allies. 

You imagined what they are like. Are they adorable as Kirby? Or are they handsome as the boys you saw in anime? 

Heck, is there even a  _ single  _ human in this world? You’re getting lonely not seeing a human other than yourself. 

“Hey Zero, what do you think the Star Allies are like?” You ask. 

“Star Allies? I’d guess that it’s just some incopotent children doing random shit.” is Zero’s answer. This offended the Fluffball. 

**“Hey!** The Star Allies aren’t children!” He yelled in annoyance. “Well, there  _ are _ some, but there are also adults in the team!” He added. He then said the names of all of the adults in the team while they continue walking towards the castle. 

“Seriously, why do you have to offend everyone near you?” You scold while Kirby continues counting. “It could be possible that people will accuse you of some bad thing, even if you didn't do it!” You added. However, it was ignored. 

Eventually, you reach the palace. It is smaller than you thought it would be. It has some round pillars, a round roof, and it seems like this castle has no corners. It is white as snow… and that’s it. 

“After all of this is over, could you please tell me about that voice poyo?” Kirby asked. 

The two (three?) of you enter the palace, and oh my goodness it’s pretty. The light from the bright sun shone through the windows, creating light pillars as you call it. There are lights that have light bulbs shaped like hearts at each pillar, two for each. The walls still are white as snow, and you might have recognized the material it is made of as marble. 

You see a lot of creatures here. Like a penguin, a fairy, some animals that are definitely bigger than what they are supposed to be, two identical knights (that seem to be bickering) and… a human? 

“Holy moly, is that a human I see here!?” You yell in excitement. However, Zero shook his head. 

“No, she’s an elf.” He said. 

“But she has human ears!”

“Nope, she is an elf. Not all elves have pointy ears, you know.” 

You puff up with annoyance, still in denial. 

Anyways, they are all talking about presumably some normal stuff. They are laughing, shocked, and bickering. They seem to be having fun. 

“Hey guys!” Kirby announced. “I brought over a new friend!” He added, dragging Zero in front of him. 

Everybody stared towards the little demon and… everything went silent. Some people are confused why others are silent. 

“Is… is that…?” A penguin in a royal-looking robe asked, pointing towards Zero with a shaky finger. 

“Uhh… Yep!” Kirby yelled as optimistically as possible. “His name is Zero!” 

Silence. 

**“WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!?”** The people who knew him yelled in disbelief while the ones who didn’t just jumped off their seats, shocked by the sudden scream. 

“B-B-But why?” An orange Kirby-like creature with a pale face wearing a blue bandana asked while waving his hands in panic. 

“Yeah, just… why!?” A somewhat huge hamster asked. “He tried to destroy  _ planets! _ Our  _ homes! _ ”

Everybody who didn’t knew beforehand gasped by that statement. “This guy did _what!?”_

During all of these, the Fluffball lost his smile. “Calm down everyone!” Everybody went silent upon hearing it. 

“Look, I know that he did a lot of bad stuff, like what Rick said, but… hear me out. 

“Yes, he wanted everything to be gone, wanted everything to rot and die… but he has a reason for doing this. 

“He suffered a lot. Like, a lot. I can’t imagine not feeling happy for the rest of your life. It’s just… I can’t imagine it. 

“But I won’t let anyone suffer for all eternity! I want to help someone as best as I can! Even if I might die… 

“Yes, I may be naive, dumb, whatever you say, but would you call me that when there are literally people in this team that tried to kill me in the past!?” 

Everybody went silent. Especially you. Some people in this team tried to kill Kirby in the past!?

“You’re… right.” The penguin said. “Marx and Mags betrayed you, Dark Meta Knight tried to kill you, and you somehow turned them to your side. Maybe the same thing could be said to… him.” He added, shaking when he said the last sentence. It seems like he is scared of Zero, which is understandable. 

Suddenly, Kirby remembered something. 

“Hey Zero, how about that voice that only you can hear? Who are they?” Kirby asked. In turn, the little demon simply sighed as he explained. 

“But I thought you are going to ask that after.”

“I changed my mind. I think everyone deserves to know this.”

“Fine.” Zero then took a deep breath. “Did you know that there are more than three worlds?” He asked. 

“You mean… there is another world on top of the mirror and parallel worlds?” The blue knight asked, while his edgier black lookalike is somewhat curious. 

“Yes. It is called the ‘real world’ as I heard.” Zero explained. “For them, this world is just a dream, only going here when they are asleep. Gods, magic, elves and fairies, they only exist in legends. Only science and nature truly exist. 

“This particular one comes from that world. Even she doesn’t know how she got here. Inhabitants from the real world don’t have psychic abilities. Even if they did, there could be voices in your head by now.

“She hasn't always been in my mind. She just came here pretty recently, actually. She didn’t know how she got here, and why in me.”

Now the Star Allies are conflicted. Is this story true? He did have a history of telling actually good lies that seemed true. 

“Do you… want to go home?” Zero happened to mutter. It made you jump. 

“H-Huh? How did you know?” You ask. 

“I… I think I can… feel how you are feeling. It must have been a result of this… predicament that we are in.”

“Go home, huh.” Kirby said, hearing that mutter. “Hmm… I guess we could find a way. In the meantime, why not stay at my house?” He then offered. 

Then everything went silent. Again. 

“What.” The Bandana-wearing creature simply said, not believing what he is hearing. 

* * *

And so, Kirby decided to let Zero sleep on his bed while he sleeps on the nest at the top of the nearby tree. However, it isn’t sleep time yet. It’s time to properly introduce!

“So… what’s your name, little voice?” 

“It’s Niji!” You said. Zero repeated it for you. 

“Niji… ok! Nice to meet you, Zero and Niji! I’m Kirby! But I think you already knew that.” Kirby introduced. 

And so, begins a formation of an unlikely trio. A demon, a hero, and a normal human. You feel like mishaps could happen, but you feel like you are going to have fun. 

You hope you go home as early as possible. Who knows what’s going on back in the real world. 

_ To be continued... _


	5. Groceries and Bickering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your roommates buy some food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I gave myself a challenge: make someone say “why are you here?” and/or variations.

Kirby and Zero decided to go get some food at the local supermarket. After all, they are somewhat running out of food. 

While you are going with them to the supermarket, you are trying to get used to not controlling your body. After all, it isn’t even yours. 

You still need to remember that you can move again someday, like in your ‘dreams’. 

Well, if you call that a dream anyways. 

Anyways, they entered the shop and you saw many food items. Kirby promptly ran towards the food with a drooling mouth. ‘He really likes his food,’ you thought. 

“Could you please stop?” Zero asked with his usual annoyed tone. “You haven’t bought it yet.” 

“Oh.” Kirby then proceeded to pick up some food…

...except it’s all sweets. 

“H-Hey! Why sweets!? Don’t you care about your health or something!?” You yell. 

“Yeah, could you at least buy something healthy?” Zero followed up. 

“No!” Kirby simply said as he collected the sweets he could buy. 

Now both of you are annoyed. 

“Seriously, did that guy not eat his vegetables?” You said in an annoyed tone. 

“I think so. Fluffballs are supposed to be eating a healthy diet at this age.” Zero answered. “And if I remember correctly, this is  _ not _ a healthy diet.”

“At least we agree on something.” 

And so, Zero tried to pull Kirby away from the sweets, try to sneak in some meat and vegetables, but of course, just like any other picky kid, Kirby just placed back to where they came from. 

After Kirby grabbed a lettuce head from the basket and back to the aisle for literally the second time, you finally decided to give up. 

“I give up. This kid’s fast!”

However, you realize that Zero kept on going. The people around you are watching as he picked up all of the candy and chocolate and placed them in their aisles. 

And then he somehow grabbed some meat and vegetables with no hands and dumped them in the basket. Kirby realized this and immediately threw those back to their aisles. And it’s pretty neat too! 

Both are really quick and responsive. Thanks to this awesomeness, a crowd has been formed. Welp, threatening Kirby to eat his veggies are now invalid. Great. 

As time passes by, the Fluffball and the demon are getting tired. You are now conflicted between cheering Zero up, or just don’t. 

They got slower, and so is their focus. In fact, Kirby mistakenly picked up a vegetable once or twice. He did keep tomatoes in the basket for some reason. 

But… what are you going to do…? 

You are about to give up when suddenly…

“Kirby!” An unfamiliar voice echoed throughout the room. It is child-like, but is a bit Everyone immediately looked towards the owner of that voice. 

It was the brown Kirby-like creature with the blue bandana. 

“B-Bandana Waddle Dee!?” A person said. So that’s his name. “What are you doing here!?”

“Could you just  _ please _ eat your vegetables for once!?” Bandana Waddle Dee yelled. 

“No!” Kirby yelled. 

“We have been through this for like, I don’t know,  _ ONE THOUSAND TIMES!?”  _ Bandana Waddle Dee yelled angrily. “I said it once, and I’ll say it once again, but…” he then took a deep breath and yelled:  **“Do you want to be a baby** **_forever!?”_ **

Upon hearing this, Kirby freaked out and immediately jumped in fear and realization. He then awkwardly picked up the healthy foods and replaced the sweets. 

And then they bought it, obviously. 

* * *

The walk towards home is an awkward one. No one spoke a word. Not even you. 

Eventually, you reach Kirby’s house. Kirby opened the door with an annoyed face.

“Must have been because of the vegetables.” You mutter, noticing the face. 

“What?” Zero asked. 

“Vegetables! You know, vegetables! Kids hate them!”

“I see.”

They then entered the house. You think you know where this is going. But then…

Kirby took a ladle and ate it. 

“Wait what” You and Zero say at the same time in confusion. 

And then, out of nowhere, a chef’s hat with a small yellow five-pointed star-shaped accessory popped up on his head. 

“What… just happened?” You ask. 

“Y-yeah. What  _ did _ just happen?” Zero added. 

Bandana Dee looked towards uhh… ‘you’ as if you said something stupid. 

“Seriously? You don’t know? Even though you have been fighting Fluffballs ever since?” Bandana Waddle Dee asked. Zero nodded, which he responded by sighing. 

“When he eats something with an ability of sorts, he can take that ability and use it himself!” Bandana Waddle Dee explained with pride. “And that’s a  Copy Ability!”

If you have eyes, they should be sparkling with amazement by now. 

“Then he could eat a knife and become an assassin?” You ask. 

“No, he’s still chef Kirby.” Zero answered. 

“…but I thought you don’t know about copy abilities.”

“I simply forgot them. They’re very rare.”

“Excuse me?” Bandana Dee waved his hand in front of Zero’s sight. “Who are you talking to?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing. Nothing to do with anything.” is Zero’s answer. 

“Hey!” You yell. “I heard that!” 

“It’s Niji poyo!” Kirby yelled. Finally! Some recognition! “Hi Niji!”

“But… it’s just us three.” Bandana Dee said. “Seriously, who is this ‘Niji’ person?

The three of you turned towards Bandana Waddle Dee as if  _ he _ said something stupid. “Seriously?” You all said in unison. It’s also in a deadpan tone too!

“W-What? Oh, you mean the voice that only Zero can hear?” Bandana Dee asked. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Bandana Waddle Dee. You can call me Bandana Dee for short.” 

“Nice to meet you Bandana Waddle Dee!” You say in a cheerful voice. 

“Nice to meet you.” Zero said in a polite tone. 

“So what are we cooking poyo?” Kirby asked. 

* * *

Kirby cooked a variety of food, and everyone ate it. Well, except for Zero, as he doesn't have a mouth. 

“You’re… not eating?” Kirby asked. 

“Why do I need to? I do not need to eat.” Zero responded. 

Kirby stared at him with sad eyes, then continued eating. 

“Huh. I thought you’re gonna ignore him or something.” You say. 

“I always tell the truth. It’s just so they could lose their guard.”

“Uh… Zero? Sorry to break it to you, but I think it’s a bad idea to say it in front of me.”

“So what? You can’t do anything.” 

“I can break your eardrums.”

“I don’t have any eardrums.”

You then let out a high-pitched scream that can totally pierce anyone’s eardrums. If only you have a body, since it didn’t work. It did anger Zero however. 

“Would you please shut up!? I have enough of you and your obnoxiousness!” Zero yelled out loud. “Why wouldn’t Kirby just find a way to get rid of you already!?” 

“What!? I don’t know where to begin poyo!” Kirby yelled.

“Seriously, if you really are smart, you should have found a way to get rid of me a long time ago!” You yell. 

“As I said, this thing never happened before!”

“Then how about you find it yourself, huh!? Or just, I don’t know, destroy this place already? Like you promised to?”

“Then how about  _ you _ do the searching yourself, idiot!?”

“How about  _ you  _ do the searching!?”

“No,  _ you  _ do the searching!”

_ “You  _ do the searching!”

_ “You  _ do the searching!”

“Could you two please  _ stop!?” _ Kirby yelled. “I get it. You hate Niji, and you want to bring her home. I  _ get  _ it. And so does she! So why not just  _ team up,  _ and find a way…  _ together?!” _ Kirby added in annoyance. 

“Yeah! Fighting won’t get you anywhere!” Bandana Dee contributed. “You have to work together as one, you know!”

Silence. 

“But first… maybe you should get used to living here.” He then admitted. 

“...you’re right.” Zero said. “However, it doesn’t change.”

“It doesn’t change what?” Bandana asked. 

“You are powerless, human. You can’t stop me. And nobody could. No more mistakes.”

Bandana Dee and Kirby simply looked towards each other in worry. 

“Are… are you sure this is a good idea?” Bandana Dee asked. 

Kirby doesn’t know what to say. 

They don’t feel like eating anymore. 

_ To be continued... _


	6. A Tale of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirby talks about his relationship between him and Zero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the thing: I thought I already finished this chapter and posted it here. I didn't.

_ Third person _

Zero opened his single eye to see that… he isn’t in Kirby’s house anymore. He looked around to see many tall buildings, and many humans walking around minding their business. 

The sky is blue, the sun is shining, it is daytime. Strangely, no one seemed to notice Zero. At all. 

While that can be explained by the fact that he is in small form… he’s not. For whatever reason, he has his shell, and the voice isn’t here either. Then again, he is tall as a fifth-grader.

He decided to move and ask, but he is unheard of. He tried to bump into someone to catch their attention, but instead, they just… go through him like he is a ghost.  Now Zero is confused. 

What’s going on?

* * *

_ Second person _

You and Zero woke up in surprise. You expected to be talking to him in your dreams. Instead, you saw a city. 

You didn’t see Kirby in the house. He must have been still asleep. 

“I… saw a dream.” Zero muttered. 

“Yeah. Is it the city?” You ask. 

Zero nodded. “You saw it too?” He asked. 

“Yeah.” You say. “It’s… my home.” 

“You live in the city?” 

“Yeah. It isn’t as great as you expect though.” You sighed. 

Zero tilted his uhh… ‘head’, confused. 

“Why?”

“My parents aren’t home most of the time, and I’m just… there, just doing random things to entertain myself.” You explained. “It’s… lonely there.” 

“They told me that they wanted to be with me for even longer, but they can’t just get out of work. I’m not sure why, and I wanted to know why…”

Zero felt a little sad after hearing this. 

“...why won’t you destroy the real world?” You suddenly ask.

“Why do you ask?” 

“Just wondering.”

Zero didn’t say anything. He looked around as if he was searching for something. 

“I… don’t know. Maybe because they will destroy each other in the end, or… because I can’t.” is Zero’s answer. 

…silence. 

The two hear a creek. The door has opened. Kirby is awake. He seems to be confused upon looking at Zero. 

“Why are you crying?” Kirby asked upon seeing the puddle of red wetting the bed. 

“…”

He’s feeling pity. A demon—who wanted everything gone—felt pity. It seems like Kirby is feeling the same way as you do: confusion.

“I… I thought you’re a sociopath.” You said in shock. “You sound like one, and you act like one!” 

But Zero ignored that, it seems. It looks like he doesn’t know what to say. 

“Niji… Niji wants to go home… but… is that what she truly wanted?” Zero asked himself. 

“Why do you think that?” Kirby asked. 

“Her parents aren’t home most of the time. If she goes home…” Zero said in realization. 

“She is going to be alone.”

Silence. 

“Umm... what is Niji like?” Kirby asked. 

“Loud and obnoxious… I think.” Zero said, trying to go back to his usual tone. However, there is some doubt in the tone. 

“Right, you have low standards upon everything poyo.” Kirby sweatdropped. “Actually, I think there might be similarities between you. You know why do you?” He then asked. 

Zero thought deeply but eventually found his answer. 

“We’re both… alone, right?” Kirby nodded in response to Zero’s answer. 

Suddenly, something… snapped. 

“Zero? Are you ok?” You ask. 

“I remember now. The promise you made.” Zero responded, looking towards Kirby.

You metaphorically tilted your head. “Promise?” You ask. 

“Yes. Isn’t it… friends?” 

“Yup poyo!”

“Seriously, what’s going on between you?” You ask. Thanks to this sudden outburst (if you even call that an outburst), Zero squinted his eye. 

“Something wrong poyo?” 

“Niji wants to know what’s going on between us, it seems.”

Kirby took a deep breath. “It’s a looooooong story, Niji.” He said as he sat down and begin telling his story. 

“It was ten years ago when I still can’t speak full sentences. Just all poyos and nothing else. I was fishing with one of my friends when Zero came and attacked. 

“Of course, he doesn’t look like this. His shell makes him larger than he is, but that’s not the point. 

“We did fight… but I learned something disturbing. Something… tragic.”

“The fact that he can’t feel happy?” You ask. 

“He can’t feel happy at all.” Kirby said in a pitiful tone. “I… was shocked, to say the least. I didn’t believe that bad people actually suffered, but… Zero is suffering.”

At this point, Zero is surprised. He didn’t want to kill him because of his lack of happiness?

“I don’t want anyone to suffer what you went through.” Kirby said, now talking to Zero. “You’ve suffered enough, and I don’t want anyone to go in your shoes! 

“That’s why… I want to help. I help people in need because they need it. They need to be happy. Everybody deserves to be happy.

“Everybody can make a miracle, as long as they do not give up. And that’s why—“ he then reached out his hand. 

“—I believe in you. I believe that you can find your happiness, even if it sounds impossible.”

“But-“ “You’re not alone anymore. You have Niji and me, right?” Zero was about to say something, but Kirby interrupted him. “You inspired me to help other people in need. Now it’s time for us to help you!” 

Now the demon is conflicted. 

“Do you… want it?” You ask. “Happiness, I mean.”

Zero simply looked towards the floor, as if looking towards his hand. 

After a bit of thought, Zero finally chose his decision.

The demon approached Kirby’s hand as if holding it. 

Suddenly, Kirby repulsed.

“H-Huh?” Kirby said in confusion. “Did you feel that? It was… cold.” He explained.

“Zero?” You asked with suspicion. “You’re not going to freeze him, aren’t you?” You added.

“Me? Freeze? Don’t be silly, I don’t know any ice spells!”

“Then what was that cold!?” Kirby asked in paranoia. 

“Ah, I'm sorry, that was my hand.” Zero answered in a polite tone. “But before you say anything, Niji, yes. My hands are invisible.” He snarkily added.

“Thanks for the clarification, at least.” You said with sarcasm, but there is also a bit of sincerity in the tone. 

“You’re welcome.” 

“So… where should we go today poyo?” Kirby asked.

“I don’t know. Any suggestions?” Zero then asked with his usual snarky tone. 

Actually, it seems like Kirby’s right: you and Zero are similar in one way or another. Snark is your casual tone, and as Kirby said, both of you were miserable in one way or another.

Doesn’t mean you agree with Zero about their plans to destroy the world, however.

_ To be continued...  _


	7. Mysterious Matters of Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandana Dee explains things about Dark Matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I posted Chapter 8 before this one. Oh well.

_Third person: Bandana Waddle Dee_

Bandana Waddle Dee sat on a bench, thinking of everything that happened so far.

First, Zero returned, and Kirby befriended him for some reason, and apparently, there is a voice that’s in his head. 

He didn’t believe that this happened at all. Worst part? Kirby is still himself. He isn’t possessed by Dark Matter or mind-controlled or anything. Everybody looked for signs, yet Kirby showed none. 

It’s unexpected, yet it isn’t. Kirby had befriended bad people, and at times, bringing the best of them. And at other times, changed them for the better. 

Kirby may be dumb, but if it comes to mentality and friendships, he is a genius. Well, that’s what Bandana Dee thinks anyways. 

But, can he change Zero for the better? He thought as he looked towards the field right in front of him. There, Kirby is on a swing while Zero watches without interest. 

Kirby swung because he felt like it. He said countless times that Zero doesn’t need to watch him swing, but he did anyway because “Niji found it relaxing.”

That made the Waddle Dee think. If Zero truly hates everything, then why did he go with Niji’s wishes? Even if Niji is the controlling type, Zero doesn’t listen to commands unless it benefits him in any way towards his goals of absolute annihilation. And unless he is missing critical context, this does  _ not _ help the demon’s plans. At all.

Unless…?   


No, that’s impossible. Zero cannot feel love, as it is a positive emotion—an emotion that he cannot handle. But that doesn’t explain why he is letting Niji watch Kirby swing.

Just… what’s going on?

_ Second person _

You are confused about why Zero decided to let you watch the swings. After all, this does not contribute to Zero’s plans at all. 

You figure that it might have been Kirby’s speech from today. After all, he wanted friends. At least you hope. 

Eventually, you see a blue blob with two google eyes and a long goofy tongue approaching you. His expression screams goofy. 

Kirby noticed him then stopped swinging. “Hey,  Gooey! ” he greeted him. In response, Gooey waved his… absurdly long tongue. 

However, when it saw Zero, his goofiness disappeared all of a sudden. 

The two stared towards each other. It seems like the blue blob is stepping back. Is the blob trying to get away from the demon? 

“M-Master?” the blob whimpered. He… knows Zero?

The Bandana guy (you didn’t bother to remember his full name) went towards the little blob, trying to comfort him, while you were left wondering. 

“Who was that?” you ask. “And why does he call you master when he doesn’t think of you that way?” 

Zero sighed in annoyance. “That is Gooey. Don’t ask me about the name, Kirby is the one who named him that.” he explained, while you hear an angry “Hey!” from Kirby. “He was born as a traitor, so I had to eradicate him. Instead, he landed somewhere near that stupid Kirby and defeated me.”

“So in summary… Gooey’s a good guy.” you concluded. 

“I do admit; I still have no idea why he calls me master.” Zero added. 

‘So there are things that even demons don’t know, huh,’ you thought. 

“W-Why are you with him?” Gooey shivered in fear as he spoke. 

“It’s a long story.” Bandana Dee sighed. 

Sometimes, you wonder what kind of changes would happen if anyone could hear you at all. 

* * *

After telling the story of Kirby’s… ‘friendship’ with Zero (and your predicament), Gooey calmed down, but not completely. Must have been all of the trauma he went through with his own ‘master.’ 

But… it still doesn’t beg the question: how did Gooey know Zero? 

“I don’t think Niji knows anything about Dark Matter, right?” Bandana Dee asked. 

You ‘tilted’ your head. “Dark… Matter?” you ask. 

“Yes, she doesn’t know everything about my race.” Zero said. 

“Uh, huh. Could you come with me, Zero? We need to explain this in private.” Bandana Dee asked. “…with Niji, of course.”

* * *

And so, you end up in a castle. According to Bandana Dee, he is a servant of sorts but promoted into a warrior of sorts. 

“So, you are a slave.” Zero pointed out. 

“N-No!” Bandana Dee yelled. “…actually, I think you’re right on that one, but still!” he added as you continued walking towards your destination. 

You look around the interior. It is built mainly with peach-colored bricks and is decorated with statues of a penguin that you saw back at the Dream Palace. The floor has a long red carpet. Like, very long. You don’t know if there even is an end at all! 

Eventually, you reach your destination: Bandana Dee’s bedroom. The door is like any door: a wooden door, but it has a sign that has his signature blue bandanna painted on it. 

You enter the room, and woah isn’t it cool. The walls are a washed-out yellow with a huge window in front of them, there is a shelf with a few decorations, and there is even a little sharpener for his spear! 

In the middle, there is a wooden table with two zabutons surrounding it. Fittingly, they are all blue. 

Bandana Dee sat on one side, Zero sat on the other. They are now face-to-face. 

“So… Niji, you know about Zero and what he can do, right?

“Umm… no.” you say. Zero shook his… ‘head’ to communicate that. 

“So you don’t know the true dangers that hide behind that little eye, huh…” Bandana Dee muttered loud enough for you to hear. “Well, I’m glad to say that you are pretty lucky.” he then added. 

“Why is that?” you say, and Zero communicated that. 

“Zero’s species has the power to control people by possessing them! Trust me, It was terrible! You can’t control your body, and all you can do is watch while the Dark Matter controls your body to do hideous things!” 

**“WHAAAAAAAAT!?”** you yell in shock. 

“Also, he has all sorts of powers and stuff and… Zero?” Bandana stopped speaking as he saw Zero about to sleep. He decided to go for the logical thing: he slapped the demon awake. 

“Hey! What was that?” Zero rudely asked. 

“You wouldn’t pay attention!” Bandana Dee groaned. “But seriously, what was that?” he then added. 

“Sleeping, idiot.” was Zero’s answer. “Strange, I don’t usually feel sleepy.”

“…So where are we?” Bandana continued. “Ah, powers. With his nest, he could do all sorts of scary things! Like… utilizing blood, I think.” 

“He  **WHAT!?”** you yell. The sheer volume of your voice made Zero do something that is equivalent to covering your ears.

“Could you please be quiet, human?” Zero scolded. 

And so, they continued. 

“Who the heck is Go-” “You might have been thinking about Gooey, right?” you are about to ask, but it seems like Bandana knows what you were thinking. 

“Yes, she is. Actually, she is about to ask that question too.” Zero responded. 

“Oh really?” Bandana said without hesitation. “Ah, anyways, Gooey is a Dark Matter, who is technically a disabled child of Zero’s.”

“So Zero is a dad!?” You yell in shock. “I bet that you are a bad influence on him.” You added in annoyance. 

“No, it’s the other way around!” Zero objected. “He is a bad influence on my kind!”

“Could you please stop fighting!?” Bandana Dee yelled, which calmed Zero down.

“Back to the topic: Dark Matter is a species that gives no mercy if it comes to their goal. They are dedicated to it, and Zero is no exception.” Bandana Dee explained. “That’s why Gooey is banished from their home: he is a disabled kid.” He added.

“Ooh. So that’s why he’s scared of you, you jerk!” You yell. “Destroying this world is one thing, but this!? That just gives me more reason to hate you!” 

“Oh, and before I forget, uhh…” Bandana Dee searched through his papers. 

“What is it?”

“Ah! Zero is a god, but it doesn’t mean you need to worship him. Nothing would happen anyways.” Bandana warned.

“Okay!” you say in a cheerful tone. “It’s not like I have a reason to do that anyway.” you then clarified.

* * *

“Bad dad! Bad dad! Bad dad!” you kept yelling as you and your ‘host’ went back home. Of course, said ‘host’ isn’t happy about it. 

“Could you please shut up?” Zero asked. “It’s getting annoying.”

“Annoying you is  _ my _ job!” you then continued to chant “Bad dad!” again. 

“You  _ do _ know that I will eventually get used to it, right?” Zero asked as he stopped in his tracks.

This made you silent. You… never thought of that. You are stunned in silence and stared blankly towards what is in front of you.

After what felt like hours, Zero eventually continued hopping back home. After what he said to you, you never uttered a single word. 

“Hey, Niji.” Zero called.

“What?” you responded in exhaustion.

“You know about me being a dad? Well, you’re right about that one.”

“So what?”

“Actually, I’ll save that until you see for yourself.” 

“I see…” you sigh. “I wonder what Gooey is doing right now.” you then muttered quiet enough for Zero to not hear.

_ To be continued… _

  
  



	8. Cat in the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niji finds a cat in the void.

_The void-dream_

You lie down in boredom, waiting for either of you to wake up. Best case scenario, you wake up in a few seconds. Worst case scenario, it will be hours later. 

You look towards Zero and he’s… asleep? In a dream?

“Uhh… Zero?” you say in confusion. 

But then again, there are such things as dreams within a dream. 

You sigh in boredom, waiting for something interesting. You don’t have a toy to play, and you don’t even have anything. The floor here is hard as concrete, so it isn’t comfortable to sleep on. 

You decided to wake the beast up. 

“Hey, wake up.” you said. Zero isn’t awake. 

“Wake up.” you said, but louder. Zero is still asleep. 

**“WAKE UP!”** you yell on top of your lungs. That seemed to wake him up. 

“Niji! You almost woke me up to the waking world!” Zero yelled at you in anger. 

“What else am I supposed to do!? It’s boring here!” 

The anger from the demon has been washed away. 

“Hm… I see.”

“So what are you going to do?” You ask. 

Zero closed his eye. Does that mean… 

“H-Hey, you can’t just fall asleep and expect something!” you yell. 

And suddenly… he’s gone. That outline that appears when he closes his eye is… gone. 

“Uhh… Zero?” you ask. 

“Hey.” a voice called. You freaked out in surprise and fell to the ground. You realized that it was just Zero. 

“Ah, it’s you… Wait.” you looked around, and still found nothing. “Where are you?” you ask. 

You still saw nothing… except for a white cat. 

“Huh? What are you doing here?” you ask in confusion. 

The cat stared towards your eyes, and you can’t help but… pet it. 

You picked up the cat and showered it with pats and snuggles. 

“Who’s a cute cat?” you say in a cute voice, snuggling the little cat when suddenly… 

It scratched you with a yowl. Is it because you’re making it uncomfortable?

“Get off me!” the cat said in a voice that sounds like a teenage boy. Wait, said!?

“T-T-T-Talking cat!?” you yelled with confusion, but it turned into glee. “Oh my goodness! A talking cat!” You squeed. 

“I should have known that turning into your most desired thing could end up like this…” it muttered. 

Wait. 

Was that…?

“Zero? Is that you?” you ask. 

“Yes, it is me.” he said as the cat disappeared into a poof of smoke, and the red eye you are familiar with opening. 

“What… was that?” you ask. 

“This is a place where I am in control. I can shift into whatever I want, as this is the only place where I am in full power… for now.” Zero explained. 

“Then why didn’t you kill me?” you ask. 

“…everything is an illusion. This is a dream, not reality.”

“But I thought-” “I can change my strength at will, from strong to weak, since it’s all an illusion, except for you.” you were about to ask, but Zero answered before you finished. “Think of it as a simulation.”

He then shifted back into the white cat from earlier. “So, you get it now? I am in charge here, and you can do nothing.” 

You... felt a need to giggle. 

“Oh my goodness, you’re so adorable!” you squeed. “I can’t take you seriously if you are this cute!” you added.

 _“Don’t_ call me cute.” Zero hissed. “I said it once, and I’ll say it again.”

“But how _can’t_ I do this if you’re this cute?” you said, still squeeing. “I know that I hate you and all, but I can’t help but cuddle you!” 

Suddenly, another slash from the claws! 

“OW OW! Stop it!” you yelled in pain. 

"Don’t you realize that all cats have sharp claws, human?” Zero hissed. 

“Ah, uh, um, uhh…” you didn’t know what to say except for gibberish. 

“It’s time to wake up. Now, behave.” 

As always, you have a bad feeling about this. However, since yesterday is a crazy yet good day, today might be good too. 

* * *

**“OH MY GOODNESS!”** you yell. “This is the best. Day. _Ever!!!”_

Kirby decided to show him his six animal friends, and what do you know, one of them is a cat! 

Zero winced as he was forced to listen to your loud ramblings. Well, you do plan to make his life hell in one way or another, so you didn’t stop. 

“What’s going on with him?” the cat asked. 

“I think the voice in his head is being loud again.” Kirby explained. “According to Zero, she _loves_ cats.” 

“What’s your name?” you ask. 

“She wants to know what’s your name… ack!” Zero repeated… as you came back to rambling. 

“Ah, umm… t-the name’s Nago.” the cat—Nago—introduced nervously. 

“Huh? What’s wrong with him?” you ask. 

“I… I don’t feel good talking to someone who tried to kill us…” Nago added, facing towards Kirby. 

"Oh."

“Well, that’s ok, because-”

“Then how about that voice you’re talking about!?” a pink octopus with a huge red bow asked in worry. “If what you said was true then, she’s… she’s…!”

“Niji is fine poyo! Zero can’t hurt her, even if he wants to!” Kirby explained, trying to sort this little situation out. 

“If… if you say so…” 

“To be honest, I wish I could talk to Niji… too bad Zero could lie about what she says.” a hamster said. 

“Since she’s loud, she could just try to break his ears every time they did that!” a sunfish proposed. 

“He. Zero is a he.” Kirby corrected. 

“Oh.”

“Well, with that information, we could do a little interview with her.” an owl said. A small green bird tweeted in agreement.

“So what do you say?” the hamster said. “It’s interview time!” 

_To be continued..._


	9. Interrogating an Unseen Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The animal buddies interviews Niji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can't hear Niji in this chapter.

_Third person_

_Kirby’s house_

“Soo… what’s her name again?” the hamster asks.

“It’s Niji,” Zero answered.

“Favorite food?” Nago asked.

“Chocolate.”

Silence.

“Isn’t that… poisonous?” Nago wondered.

Silence took over once again as Zero hears Niji’s answer. 

“Not for humans, it seems.”

Another wave of silence came as the demon listens to Niji and the animals taking in the fact that cocoa is not poisonous for humans. After all, there is this chemical called theobromine that can make the consumer barf, get nauseous, and eventually, die.

They are surprised that humans can consume theobromine without consequence. That is if Zero isn’t lying.

“She wants to know your names,” Zero said, breaking their line of thought.

The six animals blinked. They completely forgot about that! 

“T-The name’s Rick!” the orange and white hamster tried to introduce himself as optimistic as possible. 

“I’m Kine,” the blue sunfish said. Niji wonders why he can be on land when he is a fish.

“My name is Coo,” the purple owl introduced. “And this is Pitch,” he added, pointing towards the green bird on top of Coo’s head. 

“I’m Chuchu! And I will _never_ let you destroy this world!” the pink octopus with a bow said in determination. It seems like she got guts! 

“My name is Nago, and I… I love hugs!” the cat said. 

The atmosphere is kind of… uncomfortable. After all, there is a literal demon right in front of them.

“A-Any more questions?” Rick asked. 

Zero ‘closed’ his eye, listening to Niji’s question. He then opened his eye, who had heard the question.

“Do you know any humans around here?” Zero asked for her. 

Kirby and the animals looked towards each other, wondering what to answer, and eventually shrugged. 

“No, sorry Niji,” Rick answered. 

“If I find one, I’ll let you know!” Chuchu said, doing something akin to flexing one’s muscles. It made Niji giggle. 

“Do you know any way to send this human home?” Zero asked in slight annoyance. 

The animals stared towards Zero in confusion. 

“Your question or Niji?” Kirby asked what the animals were asking in their mind as if he read them all. 

“Both. I want her to be gone immediately, and she… she is getting uncomfortable not controlling her own body,” Zero explained. 

After a bit of silence, Zero’s expression changed into an irritated one. It seems like Niji said something that agitated him. 

“No! It does _not_ mean I care about your well-being, human!” Zero suddenly roared. “You are just an obstacle that I could have easily destroyed if not for this shit!” 

“Could you please stop!?” Kine jumped in front of Zero, trying to stop the fight. “We haven’t answered the question! And for me!? _I don’t know shit!”_

“Language, Kine!” Coo scolded. “I do have an idea though,” he then added. 

“Oh, what is it?” Nago asked. 

* * *

The group of eight walked towards the nearby museum. Coo is the one who guides the group. 

"I heard that there is a Dark Matter researcher around here,” Coo explained. “They are an expert if it comes to those creatures.” 

“Ooh, who are they? I’m getting curious!” Chuchu asked. 

“I don’t know actually. I only heard of them through the local news,” Coo answered. 

“So... you mean that they might not exist?” Rick asked. 

“Maybe.”

“Why are they in the museum anyway? Asking for Niji,” Zero asked. 

“I have no idea either. If I had to guess, it’s to look at the exhibits,” Coo answered. 

Eventually, they came to the museum. It is pretty small, but at least it’s slowly but surely growing from the years! 

“Alright! Let’s meet this expert!” Kirby yelled with optimism. The group then entered the museum. 

The museum is filled with fossils, replica paintings, and many more. The sight itself is pretty to look at, as they are organized in a way that is pleasing to the eye. 

The middle has more exhibits, but they are bigger than the ones around. They want the big ones to be the focus, after all! 

“Having fun looking at the exhibits?” a cloaked figure suddenly asked. This shocked most of the group due to being sudden. The fact that they’re cloaked doesn’t help. 

“Woah! You surprised me!” Kirby yelled. 

“Did I?” The cloaked figure asked in a child-like voice. “Oh, I’m sorry about that, tee hee!” they added with a mischievous grin. 

“Hold on a second... I saw you before!” Kirby said as he took a closer look. It’s a NESP! More specifically, one of the few who helped him from the last adventure! “You’re that NESP! What are you doing here!?” 

“Well, I just wanted to look around, that’s all. I love history and things from the past, after all!” the NESP explained. 

After saying that, the NESP saw Zero. They stared towards the little demon curiously, as if they saw it before…

“Are you… Dark Matter?”

Silence. 

The NESP pulled out a device with an antenna. It has a screen on the upper half and a blue button that says “scan” at the lower half. 

They pressed the “scan” button, and suddenly, a horizontal green light came out! 

It slowly went from top to bottom, scanning Zero for something. The group only stood there, wondering what was going on. The screen displayed a wavy line moving with the limited colors of light and dark green.

They are scared. What would this NESP think if it did say that he is indeed a member of Dark Matter? Would they try to experiment on him? Kill him? They don’t know. 

Eventually, the scanning is finished… and from the device, a loud beeping noise. The noise shocked the group.

“Oh… oh dear.”

“W-What is it?” Kirby asked. 

The NESP went silent for a bit before they say their answer.

“This creature is no ordinary Dark Matter. He is…” the NESP concluded dramatically. They also stopped dramatically too. 

Everybody is sweating. Is this NESP going to kill him right there and then?

“...My inspiration: Zero himself!” the NESP added with a smile on their face.

Suddenly, the intensity disappeared without a trace.

“What.” 

_To be continued..._


	10. Secret Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting this chapter faster, It's just that I got writer's block.

“...My inspiration: Zero himself!” the NESP added with a smile on their face.

“What,” the group simply said, dumbfounded. 

Silence. 

More silence. 

Even more silence. 

“I know, it’s ridiculous,” the NESP said in embarrassment, scratching their head. “But it’s true!”

“But… but he’s basically a serial killer!” Rick yelled. “No, even  _ more  _ than a serial killer!”

“I know, I know. Just please hear me out.”

The NESP took a deep breath. “I was interested in Dark Matter, ever since I was a little kid!” they explained. “My parents told me that they are dangerous like those eels, but jokes on them, I’m into that stuff!” They added with pride. “That’s why I want to learn about them. They are very interesting, are they not? They existed for a long time, yet they haven’t evolved that much!”

“Now that you mentioned it, you’re right,” Zero pointed out. 

“…Why are you with him?” the NESP asked. 

“W-Well, it was Kirby’s idea…” Rick answered. 

“What do you mean?”

And so, they explained everything about his return, the voice, and the fact that Kirby promised to befriend him. 

After the explanation, the NESP is shocked. It seems like they can’t believe this. 

“Oh… I knew that there was something wrong with him. He’s being controlled by a voice from another dimension, seeking to destroy all!” the NESP deduced. 

Silence. 

“…She is a human, a species who does  _ not _ use magic,” Zero pointed out. 

“I know, I know, I was joking. But it is interesting that he wanted friends once upon a time…”

“I know right?” Chuchu said. “I still can’t believe that either!” 

“So… you said that the human wants to go home, right?” The NESP asked. 

The group nodded, but some have suspicions. After all, is this all a lie? Is Niji non-existent? Did she never exist at all? 

“I believe you. After all, you could have killed us right here and then by now,” the NESP said. 

“So… what are you going to do with her?” Chuchu asked. 

The NESP thought deeply. And then, they got an idea. 

“Hey Zero, can you come with me?” they asked. 

“Me?” The demon seems genuinely confused. Maybe they have already found a way to return her home. But why call him of all people?

_ Second person: Niji _

Zero is currently inside of the museum. More specifically, the storage room. 

“Are we going to talk about things inside of this dark gloomy room?” you ask. The room is indeed dark and adding to that, pretty dusty too. 

It doesn’t look like It’s been cleaned for a long time. The NESP is coughing a few times. 

“So what do you want to talk about?” Zero asked. 

“Well…” the NESP then went towards the end of the room. 

“What is she doing?” you ask.

“That NESP is a he,” Zero corrected. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” you pointed out.

In response, he simply did something that is basically a shrug. 

“But I thought you’re a god!” you said in a mocking tone. “I thought gods are supposed to know everything!” you add.

“I’m a demon, not a god.”

“Oh.”

The two of you then watched as the NESP came closer towards the featureless wall and tapped some sort of card on the wall. 

Suddenly, weird white circle-like things appeared in that area! After scanning the card (at least you think what’s going on), a door opened! It opened slowly but surely, and you can see that the room on the other side is pretty sparkly (read:  _ way _ cleaner than the storage room and made out of metal). 

“There is something that I want to show you here,” the NESP said. 

“Oh my goodness! It’s like I’m watching a spy movie!” you gushed with enthusiasm. 

The NESP entered the spy room. Yeah, you’re gonna call it the spy room. Zero (and in extension, you) followed suit. 

Inside, you see some shiny pipes going through the walls and the like. You doubt that they are going to be used by anything except for the smoke, but you didn’t care. 

“This is the secret room in the museum! Or SRIM for short,” the NESP said. He’s leaving out the “the” in the acronym!? Unbelievable! 

Eventually, you reached a room with a lot of ancient-looking objects on shelves. 

“Woah. They look old,” you observed. 

“These artifacts are from many planets. Of course, these are all replicas,” the NESP explained. 

“Wait, you own this place? The whole museum?” you ask. Zero repeated it for you. 

“No, I’m just an assistant for the real owner, but that’s for another story,” the NESP answered. 

“I see,” Zero muttered. 

“What thing do you want to show us?” You ask. Of course, Zero repeated it for you in his way of speaking. 

Eventually, you reach an ancient painting that has a picture of a huge white ball with a single red eye. Presumably Zero’s… true form or something. 

At the bottom of the creature, lots of disasters are happening. Fires, tsunamis, murders, and… shadowy creatures eating people alive?

Well, this is the dream world, a world where everything is possible, so it probably isn’t a rare sight. 

You realize that it’s only one of many paintings. It looks like it’s styled like a comic. Yeah, ancient comics. You like the sound of that. 

“What is this?” Zero asks. 

“These are rurals about you, and a prophecy,” the NESP explained. 

“What kind of prophecy?” you ask. Zero repeated it, except he said that line the same time as you did. Both of you realize this, but you collectively decided to pretend that it did not happen. 

Anyways, the NESP begins to explain. 

“So… whenever Zero comes, disaster will fall upon anyone nearby. Probably something I bet you know already.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” you say. 

“Warriors from multiple planets tried to stop him, but at the time, they don’t have the means to stop him yet. That is, until one day…”

Your eyes are getting sparkly when hearing that. Maybe Kirby could use this thing to beat him again?

“But that’s for another day,” your face gets puffy from that statement from the NESP. “Besides, Kirby could tell you about that.

“However, as you know, Zero is immortal, and they have to find a countermeasure to fight against him if he comes back someday. But…”

“But…?”

“It didn’t satisfy them. The warriors didn’t want any more people to suffer at all from the demon, so they went and researched anything they could to take him down once and for all. 

“Did they find it?” you ask. Zero repeated it for you with slight hesitation. 

It doesn’t seem like the NESP noticed the hesitation, however (or maybe he ignored it?), as he continued explaining without mentioning that fact. 

“Yes, they did. However, that will come in a billion years later.” the NESP answered. Now you wonder what might be that thing. Could it be something like a de-immortalizer? Is that even a word? You don’t care. 

“But… I think telling the enemy what it is  _ could _ be a problem considering that he can avoid it. But the human needs to know this information, but I can’t communicate without Zero hearing that. And even with that…” the NESP then sighed. 

“I’m scared.”

“You’re scared?” you ask. 

“I’m scared that Zero will kill me in the middle of all of that work,” he explained, looking downwards. “You know, pretend that he isn’t listening and then attack me out of nowhere. This is a huge risk, and I’m scared to do it.”

You kind of feel bad towards the hooded figure. 

“But there has to be another way! Like making sure that Zero will sleep first-” “You know that I can hear you, dumbass,” Zero cut off your idea by reminding you that it’s very much impossible. To communicate plans when someone could easily hear you. 

You feel sad. You ended up inside of a demon, unable to find a way to go home. You wanted to go home, you really do, but you just… can’t. 

This might be the break for you to actually go home, and it’s all lost by this… unfair mess. 

“But whatever, you can just tell us,” Zero said. “It’s not like you can do it anyways.”

Somehow, your confidence came back. “I’ll take that as a challenge!” you say energetically. 

“I can’t wait to see you fail.

To be honest, you don’t see Zero as some sort of demon lord who kills people for sport, but rather, a rival. A rival that will test your limits and probably surpass them. He might not be proud of that, but you didn’t care. 

As long as you humiliate that little demon. 

...Somehow, that doesn’t sound right. 

_ To be continued... _


End file.
